Anonymous wrote:I appreciate how helpful all were for the family looking for SLAC safeties.

How about safeties for a kid with 1500 SAT and likely 4.1-4.2 weighted GPA at end of junior year.
Fairfax county boy who wants to study computer science or engineering.

VT, UVA and CWM would all be great, obviously, but really reaches, maybe a match for VT.

We need academic safeties, but also financial safeties. Would like to keep tuition/fees/room/board to 35,000 or less. I know CWM is really more around 40K. Most calculators show us paying around 45K at privates.

And GMU is too close to home.

Would appreciate recommendations so much! Prefer to stay within 5 hour drive.

any merit is better than no merit but, for most schools, you won't get much... but again, better than nothing i suppose

I thought they still had that 3/2 program with Columbia? It’s no more?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:+1 GMU (figure out what promise will make this more attractive --e.g., willingness to pay for a study abroad trip, financial support for an internship elsewhere, live on campus and promise never to stop by etc.) GMU is heavily investing in its comp sci innovations and he could get it on some programs on the ground floor--he'd qualify for honors college which helps with registrations, special research projects. NOVA kids initially discount it but they often change their minds when rubber hits the road.

+1 Pitt--rolling admissions. Not likely to get much merit aid though.

W&M ED would probably be an admit if he was sure he wanted to go there out of his options.

Calculate out his GPA in his core classes instead of overall and see where it lands.

WM has no engineering.

But has a great Computer Science program if that's the direction he wants.

Match: Santa Clara

DD or DS? Much better outcome for DD in engineering. Try GT or colleges w historically higher % of males in engineering.

W amd M has CS and some sort of Applied Physics program.

Anonymous wrote:+1 GMU (figure out what promise will make this more attractive --e.g., willingness to pay for a study abroad trip, financial support for an internship elsewhere, live on campus and promise never to stop by etc.) GMU is heavily investing in its comp sci innovations and he could get it on some programs on the ground floor--he'd qualify for honors college which helps with registrations, special research projects. NOVA kids initially discount it but they often change their minds when rubber hits the road.

+1 Pitt--rolling admissions. Not likely to get much merit aid though.

W&M ED would probably be an admit if he was sure he wanted to go there out of his options.

Calculate out his GPA in his core classes instead of overall and see where it lands.

WM has no engineering.

+1 GMU (figure out what promise will make this more attractive --e.g., willingness to pay for a study abroad trip, financial support for an internship elsewhere, live on campus and promise never to stop by etc.) GMU is heavily investing in its comp sci innovations and he could get it on some programs on the ground floor--he'd qualify for honors college which helps with registrations, special research projects. NOVA kids initially discount it but they often change their minds when rubber hits the road.

+1 Pitt--rolling admissions. Not likely to get much merit aid though.

W&M ED would probably be an admit if he was sure he wanted to go there out of his options.

Calculate out his GPA in his core classes instead of overall and see where it lands.

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate how helpful all were for the family looking for SLAC safeties.

How about safeties for a kid with 1500 SAT and likely 4.1-4.2 weighted GPA at end of junior year.
Fairfax county boy who wants to study computer science or engineering.

VT, UVA and CWM would all be great, obviously, but really reaches, maybe a match for VT.

We need academic safeties, but also financial safeties. Would like to keep tuition/fees/room/board to 35,000 or less. I know CWM is really more around 40K. Most calculators show us paying around 45K at privates.

And GMU is too close to home.

Would appreciate recommendations so much! Prefer to stay within 5 hour drive.

Good luck! Don't for the incidental cost.

I have a kid at TJ. Pitt is definitely the go to safety for Engineering and CS. A kid with those stats should have no trouble getting in, but honors college would be a reach. He might get some merit, but not a lot.

Rolling Decision. My kid applied 9/1 and had an acceptance in hand 9/11. Once that’s done, there was no need to worry about other safeties.

Campus is surprisingly nice, as is Pittsburgh. My kid really liked it when they visited. People saying Olin, Cooper Union, RPI, Northeastern and CWRU for engineering with those stats out of the DMV have missed the boat. Those are probably low reaches.

NC State
Clemson
Ohio State
Penn State
WPI

Are going to be low matches to safety.

GMU, WVU, Ohio University

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Case Western
WPI
Olin
RPI
Penn State
WVU
Stevens
North Carolina State
RIT
Clark
CMU
Pitt
LaFayette
Lehigh
Drexel
Cooper Union
Northeastern
Boston University

Olin isn’t a safety for anyone.

So what? His stats make him an acceptable applicant. Most schools do not have engineering and CS safeties.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Schools to look at -
Stevens Institute of Tech in NJ
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
RPI
RIT
UMBC
Penn State
Drexel
Delaware

RPI as a safety school? I was surprised and then looked at acceptance rate and SAT's.

I would look long and hard at RPI. They overpay their president. She has tried to get rid of greek life and student government. They also just implemented the "Arch program" which forces the kids on campus for a whole semester between their sophomore and junior year. They say it is to get them all co-ops or internships during a semester in their junior year and still graduate in 4 years. But... they force you to live on campus with meal plan the first two years and now also in the summer. And if you don't have a semester break until Junior spring, you will have been in school for over a year straight with no or little break. Even their winter break is only 2 weeks long. The kids have no chance to work and save for school. College Confidential just roasts them. We did accepted student day and it was terrible. I think WPI and RIT are much much better.

Anonymous wrote:Case Western
WPI
Olin
RPI
Penn State
WVU
Stevens
North Carolina State
RIT
Clark
CMU
Pitt
LaFayette
Lehigh
Drexel
Cooper Union
Northeastern
Boston University

Olin isn’t a safety for anyone.

Anonymous wrote:Rethink the 5 hour limit. Purdue and Illinois UC are great options.

Yup and Rose Hulman